Vanished heart
by rainingsuns
Summary: True knowledge is the gift given to boys who dare to enter the realm of God by Truth, but for girls, the gift is much darker, true wisdom. Alchemia Elric is still alive but is it worth it after all she's lost? No yaoi cannon pairings OC T I'm paranoid
1. Dancing with the devil

_**Dancing with the devil**_

_****_**Author's note**

**Hey, this is my first attempt at writing with an original character so critical reviews are welcome. Please tell me what you like and don't but please be nice. Thanks, enjoy. **

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Alchemias' POV

I leaned back in my chair and glared at the list before me as if my frightening look would make the recipe reveal to me what was missing. Water, salt; my eyes skimmed across the black ink, illuminated by the dimming light bulb of my old desk lamp. I ground my teeth together, it was all there, every element in the human body down to the last gram of protein in the eyelashes, but it was missing something. If it were that simple alchemists would have been bringing back the dead for years now and I wouldn't be in this situation. I sighed, I had known this would be difficult ever since my brother approached me with the idea three years ago, but I had been sure I could do it. I was, after all, a genius, and a child prodigy. I had been creating artificial intelligence using alchemy for years now. No, I would get this, I would be the first, I would not allow myself to give up like anyone else would, simply because I was not like anyone else, I was 'Mia Elric, genius among geniuses and I would solve this enigma.

I pressed my fingers to my temples, thinking. All the elements of the human body were there so all the physical parts were there as well, I could, in fact, create an artificial human using this; but artificial intelligence and true intelligence were two very different things, I learned that years ago.

True intelligence was individual, unique for everyone while artificial intelligence was the same for all who processed it. Why though, what makes true intelligence unique? I rolled my eyes, that was almost the same as asking what made each human unique. Though I do admit it's a bit more specific. The answer however, is the same. When the male and female gametes meet inside the female they mix their genetic information, but even before that only half of the parents DNA is placed in the gamete and that half is chosen at random. At this point in time the chances of having two identical gametes is tiny and the chances of creation two identical embryos are practically nonexistent and after the enjambment that happened between the homologous chromosomes that chance completely disappeared. But what could I give in exchange for this? Energy? But no, that was the key to creating _artificial_ intelligence, and the process couldn't be the same. Then it hit me, it was so damn obvious! I didn't need to recreate the selective process for the DNA, that was fundamentally the same for every human being, I needed to recreate the _DNA_! Why hadn't I seen this sooner?

Now to get the DNA. I could withdraw it from the corpses' bone marrow but I couldn't run the risk of shortening her life using old DNA like it would if I were cloning her, and frankly touching moms corpse creeped me out. I glared at my twin brother who was fast asleep in his bed as if this were all his fault. It would be so much easier if mom had a twin too; but an identical twin, a fraternal twin like Ed would be useless to me. My thumb stroked my left incisor like it always did when I was thinking hard, but I was so focused that I pressed too hard and my tooth sliced right through my skin. I cursed under my breath and held my thumb under the light revealing a drop of blood.

Then it came to me, this drop of crimson, this tear of blood, contained millions of red blood cells and in those cells were dozens of tiny threads of DNA. Trisha was my mother, and Eds, and Als, with the three of us we had a 75% chance of having a complete set of her DNA. Actually, considering the final homologous chromosomes were double X's and all together we had four X's all together the chances were more like 85%, not to mention we were overcompensating in individual bases, at this point the chances of failure were just 2%. That was only .05 % more than the chances of a failure during a normal transmutation. I grinned, I had done it, of course I had, I was a genius after all, my mind was far superior to that of the general population. Still I could have laughed out loud if it weren't 2am.

Quietly I turned back to my work, designing the transmutation circle. At that point in time, I felt like God, but after I finally crawled into bed that night around 3am, my dreams were haunted by the heat of the sun on the back of a pair of wings made of wax and a young man by the name of Icarus.

Al's POV

"But how do you know things won't go wrong?" I asked 'Mia in a whisper, keeping my voice low so that the teacher at the head of the class wouldn't hear us. 'Mia, it seemed, had no such qualms.

"Oh Al," she sighed in the condescending tone that only sister could manage, "of course it will work, it is _my_ theory after all, when have I ever been wrong?" I'm usually a very calm person but my sister had a talent for pushing my buttons. Now don't get me wrong, I loved 'Mia, but sometimes her vain attitude could really make me mad. The real reason I was so grumpy, however, was the fact that she was right. I couldn't name a single time sister had ever been wrong, but just because I had never witnessed it didn't mean it never happened.

The teacher glanced towards the back of the class with a frown, he was new and was unaware that most teachers just let 'Mia do her own thing in class, and he obviously had no idea of her 228 point IQ or he would never have done what he did next.

"Ms. Elric," he said sternly, "perhaps you would care to explain to the class how to find the value of X?" He held out the chalk, smirking. Beside me 'Mia smiled evilly. How I pitied that teacher.

'Mia snatched the chalk from the man on the way up to the board, everyone in the class snickered as 'Mia not only solved the question in mere seconds but then went on to show the class how to use variables to calculate the material needed to built a bridge long enough to span Amestris. Beside me brother groaned, any of the three of us Elric siblings could have shown the teacher that there was no need to teach us; but he had to pick 'Mia, who would completely humiliate him while she was at it. I'm sure sister would have gone right on to show the class how to find the length and width of each piece and then show the general structure of the bridge which she had actually designed a few months ago, were it not for Winry.

"'Mia," said the blond sitting on the other side of 'Mia's empty seat, "he gets it." Sister grinned and skipped back to her seat, handing the chalk back to the teacher contemptuously on her way. Honestly, I don't know how she does it, but Winry is the only one who can even remotely control sister. Maybe it's because they're best friends or maybe because they consider each other sisters, whatever the case it sure is useful at times like this. After the teacher went back to teaching.

Winry went back to the calculations for the left ventricle of an auto mail heart she was experimenting with brother leaned in.

"So tonight?" he asked.

"Sounds good." said sister. she than leaned over to give Winry another measurement to use for her calculations. Ed looked at me, a concerned expression on his face.

"How 'bout it Al?" he asked. I thought about teacher and her rants about one is all and all is one. I thought about the circle of life, I thought about alchemy's greatest taboo, but right when I was about to shake my head, moms' smile flashed across my mind, and against my better judgement, I nodded.

Ed's POV

Carefully I finished the last line of chalk. 'Mia looked over my work with a critical eye, the transmutation circle she had designed was vastly complex, and it had taken me an hour to draw it out to her satisfaction. Al walked over and placed the last element in the centre of the circle and took a sharp looking penknife from his pocket. He glanced at 'Mia nervously,

"Are you sure this will work?" 'Mia rolled her eyes

"Yes Al" she groaned, snatching the knife from his hands. Quickly she jabbed her finger, making a small cut, she then passed the knife to me. Al and I mimicked her actions; we all held out our bleeding digits. Three drops of deep crimson splashed on the chalk white of the circle. My twin sister quickly turned away and walked to the edge of the circle. She dropped to the floor, hands at the ready, and waited for us to join her. Then, as one, we brought our hands down to meet the chalk.

It started off perfectly, blue lightening crackled as the alchemical energy reached its' peak. On one side of me Al wore a look of utmost wonder and on the other side 'Mia wore a very smug look.

_Brilliant_, I thought, _as if her ego needed to get any bigger_. It was right as I thought this that everything went terribly wrong.

The blue light turned blood red and an almost violet light shone from the centre of the circle. I heard 'Mia swear and Al scream and then, everything went quiet. I was standing in a place that was completely white, behind me was a strange stone door covered with carvings and in front of me was an even larger door. In front of this mysterious door was a completely white figure.

Alchemias' POV

I was surrounded by white. Well, almost. The stone door behind me wasn't white and neither was the one in front of me. I glanced down, I was standing on some sort of weird invisible floor.

"So your arrogance has finally reached its' peak." said a voice, my head snapped up as I searched for its' source. In front of the huge door was a white figure, and when I way white I mean completely white, if it hadn't been sitting in front of the grey stone of the door I doubt I would have seen it. It grinned.

"It seems you have become so arrogant that you have come to believe yourself God."

I glared at it, "And who might you be?" I scowled defiantly. The figure seemed to find this highly amusing.

"Who am I?" it asked mockingly, "I am the very being on whose door you knocked. One name you might have for me is the world, or you might call me the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am All, and I am One. So, of course, this also means that I am you. Your ignorance and arrogance has led you to believe you could pull back a soul from the hands of death, and even more incredibly that a few drops of blood could amount to a human soul."

At this I snorted and opened my mouth to tell this so called "god" that of course I thought this, to explain my theory, but "Truth" held up a single white finger to stop me.

"Spare me your theories and logic, they are useless here, because for all of you brains you couldn't see that a human soul is worth so much more than a few strands of DNA. You were unable to see this because no matter how many IQ points you have it is all useless unless you know your limits, and that takes wisdom." I heard a creek and spun around. The door behind me had opened, and from its' depths emerged dozens of tiny black hands. I stumbled back but the hands grabbed me, stuck to me, and pulled me through the doors. Vainly, I grabbed at the stone, trying to stop myself, but the doors closed, locking me in a place that was most definitely hell.

I found myself in the centre of a whirl wind of pain. Scenes of horror and terror played out before my eyes; screams of hate, of pain, and of anger filled my ears; my body burned in agony, and my heart filled with desperation, guilt and sadness as all the pain of the universe was poured into my soul. I screamed, I cried, I _howled_, but no one heard me, because at that moment I was truly and utterly alone.

The hands eventually threw me out the doors. I collapsed onto my hands and knees, tears dripped from my cheeks. I didn't look up. I didn't need to, I could tell Truth was there, watching me.

"What was that?" I choked out, "What did you show me?"

"I showed you you true wisdom." Truth said, "I showed you true suffering."

"You're no god," I spat, "you're the devil."

"Maybe," came the answer, "but either way, you owe me, true wisdom isn't free."

I looked up at him, gaping, the door behind me opened once more, the black hands emerged. They shot towards me, plunging into my back, I fell onto my side, staring at Truth in horror. I had decided to dance with the devil, and now it was time for me to pay the price, and it seemed that the price truth demanded was...

...my own beating heart.

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**So what do you think? Reviews are welcome.**


	2. A race against time

**A Race against time**

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**Hey guys. Yeah I know I'm updating a lot. Don't get used to it, I'm just trying to get through the boring part. Thanks to the two who reviewed.**

**starkyo: Yeah, I know the names not the best, but there is a reason for it, which I will get to in later chapters.**

**Please comment.**

**Oh, and because I forgot to do this last time:**

**I do not own fullmetal Alchemist, unfortunately**

**and now that we're done that depressing statement, enjoy :)**

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**4 minutes**

**Ed's POV**

Truth that bastard! I clutched the stump of my leg with one hand as I looked around for my siblings.

"Al!" I cried, "'Mia!" My voice was shaking with sobs, and then I heard it, a bone chilling, blood curdling scream. It seemed to last forever, long enough for me to find it's source anyways. My twin lay on the floor beside me, the black hair she inherited from our grandmother was soaking up blood from my leg, her eyes were wide and unseeing, and from her lips came the most terrifying sound I had ever heard. Suddenly the scream cut of with an even more ominous gurgle and blood sprayed from between her lips. She was perfectly still, and it was at that moment that I knew I was completely alone, that she was dead. A feeling of overwhelming loss engulfed me. I had lossed my twin sister; I had lossed her smile, her condescending tone; I had lossed her temper tantrums at being called Alchemia; I had lossed the girl who hated Hohennheim just as much as I did, because as much as Al tried he would never understand our bone deep hatred for our father.

**3:30 minutes**

Wait, Al! Were was he? I cast a frantic look around the room, searching; a suit of armour, a workbench, my sisters body, no corpse, I had to accept that she was dead. I couldn't find him, the gate must have taken him. "No," I whispered, then shouted, "No, you can't have him! Give him back! He's my little brother, he's all I have left!" I lashed out, knocking over the suit of armour in the corner. I knew the theory behind a soul bonding, and I would have to work fast. Quickly, I dipped my finger into the blood pooling on the floor and sketched a hasty transmutation circle onto the collar of the armour. I then quickly clapped my hands together and placed them on the circle, reaching towards the gate, pulling my brother back to me.

**3:00 minutes**

**Al's POV**

I was back. Wait, what? I shouldn't be back, the gate had taken my body! I looked down at my hands, but instead of seeing flesh at I could see were two gloves, leather maybe? "Al," I noticed Ed in front of me, bleeding profusely from his shoulder and about mid thigh. I gasped, realizing suddenly that he was missing his arm and leg, he was saying something about a soul binding but I interrupted.

"Brother! Your arm and leg!"

"'Mia's even worse" he said, not meeting my eyes. I looked over to a limp figure surrounded in blood. At that moment all of my confusion disappeared. I knew what I had to do. Quickly I grabbed Ed and rushed over to sister. I grabbed her around the middle.

I was just running out the door when I heard Ed whisper, "Mom?" I turned back, and looked at the circle. In the middle was a figure, that was moving slightly. Hope blossomed inside of me. Did we do it? Had sister's theory worked after all? Then the full moon slipped out from behind a concealing cloud and shone through our window, lighting up the figure. I gave a choked sort of sob. If I weren't a suit of armour I'm sure I would have fainted at the sight. Ed gave a melancholy cry before passing out from blood loss. I turned and ran. I ran from that house, from those memories, and first and foremost I ran from that monster in the basement, the monster we had created.

**2:00 minutes**

**Winry's POV**

An urgent knock sounded on the door, I tightened the last screw on the prototype of an automail heart I had been working on for about a year. If it worked it would revolutionize the medical field, now if only there were some way to test it without risking human life. I sighed, the heart was all set up ant ready to go, all I needed was a Guinea pig. The pounding on the door restarted and I turned towards it with an annoyed look on my face. "Coming, coming." I called.

When I opened the door I was greeted with one of the most ghastly scenes I had ever seen. A suit of armour knelt on the step holding two bodies. I recognized them as Ed, and 'Mia Elric. Granny walked up behind me and gasped at the sight. "Please." I jumped at the sound of Alphonse Elric's voice emerging from the armour. "Please help them."

Granny and I jolted into action. I grabbed Ed and dragged him towards the patients room. Granny did the same with 'Mia. I lay Ed on one of the patients caughts and then ran around hooking up the necessary machines to Ed's leg and arm. On the other side of the room Granny was checking 'Mia's vitals. I had just hooked up the machine to his leg when Granny said something that chilled me to the bone.

"Winry, she has no heartbeat."

**1:45 minutes**

**Pinako's POV**

"No!" cried out my granddaughter, rushing over to the body of the girl whom she considered a sister. I grabbed a surgical knife. Something was wrong here. No heartbeat, coughing up blood; I looked over at Edward who had just mysteriously lossed an arm and a leg and a terrible suspicion overcame me. I sliced open the skin above her heart and peered in. The sight that greeted me was very gruesome. It was as if her had simply vanished, leaving the arteries to drain their contents into the empty cavity.

"No!" screamed Winry, "You can't die, you can't leave me too!" I stood there, staring in shock, but Winry's cries pulled me back into the present, and my brain started working again. It takes four minutes to die after the heart stops bleeding, so that meant we had... Not a lot of time, maybe not enough time, but I would be damned if I let Van Hohenheim's only daughter die without putting up a fight.

I reached over to the machine behind me, pulling small tubes towards me. "Winry," I snapped, "get that automail heart you've been working on. We have ourselves a Guinea pig." For a minute I thought my granddaughter was to upset to move, but then she took off running. I quickly hooked up Alchemia's arteries to the machine and sucked the blood that had pooled were her heart should be. "I'll be damned if you die on us now girl." I told the body in front of me.

**1:00 minute**

The cavity was empty, the blood preserved for a later injection.

**45 seconds**

Winry reentered the room, carrying the heart.

**30 seconds**

I pulled away the tubes and before to much blood could refill the hole, Winry inserted the heart.

**20 seconds**

Blood vessels connected.

**15 seconds**

Left ventricle activated.

**12 seconds**

Left atrium activated.

**9 seconds**

Right atrium activated.

**7 seconds**

Right ventricle activated.

**4 seconds**

Oxygen mask on.

**0 seconds**

And then Alchemia Elric _breathed._

Als POV

After sister started breathing (and so did everyone else in the room) Granny and Winry finished up. They removed the blood that had escaped before Winry got the heart in, and stored it; they sewed up her chest, they reinserted her own blood back in threw a needle to her arm. Then they turned to me and began to ask question after question. "Whats with the armour?",

"Are you really Al?",

"What happened to your body?,

"What happened to Eds limbs?",

"What happened to 'Mia's heart?" and,

"Just what in hell's name possessed you to attempt human transmutation?" I told them everything. How could I not? They just saved me from losing everything I had left in my life.

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**So tell me what you think, yeah I know it's short but I wrote two in one day. I promise they will get longer when I get in to the actual anime part.**

**Thanks, please review. It makes me happy. I makes me want to write. It makes me want to post. So review. And thanks again to all those who reviewed on my last chapter.**


	3. The only escape of the damned

******Authors note: New chapter! Note: I do not own Fullmetal alchemist(**

**Ed's POV**

Alchemy is the science of turning, or transmuting one substance into another by altering their elemental makeup. However it is not an all powerful science. The government forbids alchemists from transforming lead into gold and scientifically alchemists are unable to transform inorganic material into organic material and vice versa. However there is one law that dominates above all others in the field of alchemy, and that is the law of equivalent exchange. This law states that to gain anything humankind needs to give something of equal value.

To follow this law Alchemia compiled all the elements present in the human body, but this was obvious. Since the beginning of alchemy, alchemists have been attempting to revive the dead and the discovery that all elements of the human body must be present was one of the first.

The problem is that humans are more then just flesh and blood. We have souls. For years alchemists have been trying to find an equivalent exchange for a human soul, but all have failed, with disastrous consequences. So finally the government placed a ban on all human transmutations, but to the determined like 'Mia and myself that law, that taboo, banned by both government and nature, did not deter us in the slightest, for we believed we had nothing left to lose.

Our father walked out on us when we were only 3. So when our mother died of sickness a few years back it felt like the sky was falling. It was my idea to attempt human transmutation. I believed we could do it, I believed 'Mia could find a way. You see my twin was a genius. At 5 years of age she taught herself, and us, alchemy, and at six, two days after mom died, she discovered how to create artificial intelligence using alchemy. I had faith.

To prepare we spent 2 years working with an alchemy teacher to train our bodies and our minds. The training exhausted 'Mia, not because she was weak but because she stayed up to almost 2 am every night trying to come up with an idea to get mom back. She could not, however, think of anything until tree days ago. We returned to Resenbool about a year ago at eight years of age and resumed normal school. This of course gave 'Mia even more time to think as she found school not only easy but also stupendously boring. We finally saw the results of her labours that day in math class.

Her theory was good, add to what all humans had the one thing that made each human unique, DNA. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, we had to give more to create equivalence. In alchemy this is known as a rebound. I gave an arm and a leg, 'Mia gave her heart, and Al gave his entire body.

I regained consciousness one day ago and Al filled me in on what happened. I cried, from relief that everyone was okay, but also from remorse at what my _stupid_ idea had done to my siblings. I had almost lost them both. It was all my fault, it was all my fault that Al was now an empty suit of armour and 'Mia had a hunk of metal in the place of her heart lying unconscious in the cot beside me.

Winry kept nagging me about automail but I just ignored her, I was not in the mood to do anything just yet. I sighed looking at 'Mia, granny had warned me that while she was out of immediate danger for the time being there was no guarantee she would wake up... ever. I used my hand to pull myself upright in bed, damn it, when was she going to wake up, she had already been out for 2 days.

**Alchemia's POV**

Funny things nightmares, they take your most terrible memories and make you relive them again and again until they eventually become the memories. For what felt like centuries I dreamed. I dreamed about dark hands stealing my heart; I dreamed of the devils smile, of hell's gates opening; I dreamed of the pain of the universe scorching my spirit like hellfire; I dreamed of a rock in my chest crushing my lungs, suffocating me, killing me with a slow deliberate determination; and I dreamed of a young man falling towards a light blue sea, leaving a trail of feathers in his wake. Until finally, after wandering the harrowing realm of phantasms for what felt like eternity, I opened my eyes.

**Al's POV**

It was the morning of the sixth day after the incident when it happened. Brother was still asleep but I had been up all night. It seemed that without a mortal, human body I not only didn't need sleep but it had turned into an unreachable dream, ironically this meant I couldn't dream. I was gazing out the window, watching the sun rise. I liked watching it rise, without human eyes I could look right at the sun, I could truly admire all the vibrant hues of the dawn. Sometimes granny would join me, she was an early riser. So when I heard her enter the room on this particular day I wasn't surprised. I was somewhat startled, however, at what I heard next.

"Oh, you're awake." Granny exclaimed softly. I turned my head, wondering why she was surprised, I was always awake, but then I saw something that explained everything. I saw my sister, and more importantly _she_ saw _me_.

**Ed's POV**

I was woken up by someone loudly shouting.

"Sister!" I jolted up in bed quickly, startled. My eyes widened as I saw a huge suit of armour about to throw himself on my twin sister.

"Al" I exclaimed, stopping him just in time, he would have crushed her. I refocused my eyes, scanning my sister's form. She turned her head towards me and my anxious eyes found her face, our eyes met. What I saw there haunts me to this very day. Her eyes were filled with a tormenting despair. I sucked in a breath. "Mia?" I asked tentatively, How are you feeling?" She didn't answer, just turned her head away to look at the ceiling. I dragged myself to the edge of my bed.'Mia, can you hear me?" Still no answer, and that scared me, but I couldn't show it, I didn't want to scare Al. Pinako slid quietly from the room to give us some time. I began to talk.

I told her what had happened and about her heart. "The little garden gnome says to tell her or Winry if you're feeling any discomfort other then on your skin where she cut you open." I paused, expecting a reaction but she continued her empty staring at the ceiling.

She didn't react to any of us all day. She didn't eat or drink. She didn't talk. It was starting to really scare me and no matter how hard I tried to hide it Al was starting to pick up on it. At dinner Pinako brought the subject up.

"Edward, Alphonse." We both looked up. "We need to talk about your sister."

"What" I asked, Al stiffened in the seat beside me. there is something I haven't told you yet." Began Pinako. Al and I immediately came up with the worst possible scenarios. "You see Winry and I got the heart in as fast as we could, but there is only four minutes between when to heart stops beating and when the brain stops functioning. There is a high possibility of brain damage."

"How high?" I choked out.

"97 Pinako sighed. I was stunned. Just when I thought I had my sister back, that some miracle, some god had delivered her from the one place I could never reach her I found out that She may be lost to a different void, one where she might be just as unreachable. I under 5 seconds my brain came up with about 100 things I would never see her do ever again, but then I remembered The look in her eyes when she had looked at me. Full of despair, and anguish, yes, but just as impossibly intelligent as before. No, 'Mia was traumatized, depressed, and (for once in her life), confused, but not rain damaged.

"No," I said voicing the conclusion I had just reached in my head a few moments earlier. "Edward, I'll admit it isn't definite yet, but it is a very possible conclusion, and you need to accept that." She said, watching me, eyes full of pity.

"No." I repeated stubbornly, "Didn't you see her eyes? She may be confused, but she is not brain damaged." The rest of dinner was spent in silence.

**Al's POV**

Honestly, I doubt 'Mia had brain damage, I just couldn't picture it, but it sure seemed like it. She wouldn't talk to us, it didn't even seem like she was listening to us. She was of in her own world. Lost in a land far, far from where we were now. I wished I could reach her there. Comfort her, tell her everything would be just fine, that I loved her, that it wasn't her fault, it was mine, but I couldn't, and if granny was right I might never be able to.

After dinner Winry ran into her room and cried. I helped Ed move from the wheelchair to his bed at around 9:30, and the house was silent by 10:00. I was alone, again, like I was every night. Suddenly I couldn't handle it. I couldn't stay in this quiet house full of sleeping people and a potentially brain damaged sister staring hauntingly at a ceiling now hidden by shadows. I couldn't handle it, I would go crazy before dawn.

I stood up and made my way to the door. I would spend this night with mom. I paused in the door and turned back to see 'Mia watching me. Her gaze scared me, it was the look of someone who had seen all the horrors of the universe, it was the look of the damned.

"I'm sorry." I sobbed softly, "So sorry." Then I left, heading towards the cemetery.

**Alchemia's POV**

I stayed in bed all day, thinking. Unfortunately, it didn't help, in fact, it made it worse. The more I tried to find a reason, some justification, some equivalent exchange in that unimaginable suffering the more depressed I became. It was smothering me, crushing me in a vast sea of blue. I couldn't accept it. I couldn't accept the fact that even with all of our scientific knowledge, with all of our ingenuity, _that_ was still present. That huge store of hatred and sadness, that breathtaking pain vast as the universe itself. Next to that I was nothing, alchemy was nothing, hell, compared to that the earth, the moon, and the stars were _nothing_. So what was the point? Where was the equivalence? What was the point to any of this, to me?

By the time Al left I had made a decision. An object without a point couldn't exist, so neither could I.

That night I burned my face out of every picture, I took everything with links to me and piled it on the front lawn of the house I had lived in for so long. Then I took a lighter and lit it all on fire. Using the firelight I wrote a letter to my brothers, saying goodbye, saying I was sorry. Then I crept back to Winry's house and left it on my cot.

I looked at Ed, sleeping soundly on his cot, oblivious to what was happening. He would live a long life, a long happy life. One he could never experience with a broken sister like me. I was on my way back to the fire when I passed the graveyard, and I heard something that would change my life forever. I heard my little brother crying.

**Mustangs POV**

When I arrived at the Elric's house I was greeted by one hell of a surprise. On the front yard was a pile of ash, as if someone had decided to light the grass on fire, but there was too much ash for it just to be grass that had been burned. I ran my hands threw the fine ash in fascination. The fire would have been alchemically altered to burn much hotter than a normal fire, or else we would me seeing remains of whatever had been burned. Hell, a fire hot enough to do this could incinerate a human body without leaving any remains. I stepped back, whoever had lit the fire knew what they were doing. There was a ring of sand surrounding the ashes and they must have doused the grass in water to prevent a single spark from creating a wildfire. I was impressed, this person knew their fire safety.

I was even more surprised, however, when I reached the living room of the supposedly deserted house. I swore loudly. "Colonel?" called lieutenant Hawkeye, my assistant. "Are you okay?"Find me the Elric siblings." I yelled, "And find me them **now!**"

**Ed's POV**

'Mia was gone. We'd found her letter this morning, before Al got back. She had committed suicide. The letter was short, and written in a hurry.

_I'm sorry. I messed up, I can't fix it. I'm sorry, there's no point. I'm ending it. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry._

_I love you._

She hadn't left anything behind. All of the pictures of her were ruined, and everything else had been burned in the front yard of our house, and Pinako had confirmed that the fire had been hot enough to burn a human body into ashes in minutes.

I felt empty, hopeless. I thought I had her back. I thought everything would be okay. I had the nerve to hope. How could she? How could she leave us? Abandon us? How could she do this to us? To me?

A knock sounded on the door, okay more like a pounding, not a knock. I barely noticed as Pinako went to answer it.

"Where are the Elric's?"someone yelled from the front door. Then I heard Pinako yell something as a man in a military uniform barged in. Seeing me he grabbed me by my shirt. "I saw it," he yelled "We went to your house and saw it! How could..." He stopped as Al placed a hand on his.

"We're sorry," he sobbed, "We didn't mean to, we're sorry." When he saw Al the anger seemed to drain out of him, and he put me down.

\

His name was Colonel Mustang, and he was from the military. He had heard stories about us and had come to see if what the rumours were true.

"Two children experienced enough to attempt human transmutation and survive, there is no question you are qualified." he told us, "If you ever want to join the military just give me a call. You would have access to an amazing amount of information. You could make a new start." He looked at me "You need to move on, to look to the future instead of drowning in the past." He got up to leave and then stopped. "I had heard there were three geniuses here," he said, "Where is the third?" Al and I stayed silent, it was Pinako who finally spoke.

"Alchemia Elric committed suicide last night after burning all pictures of herself and all her processions."

"Oh, I'm sorry" Yeah, sorry she took the easy way out, I thought bitterly as the door closed behind him. I turned to Winry and asked,

"Yesterday, what were you saying about automail?"

**Third Person POV**

_What's your name?_

_I can't tell you._

_If you want to join us we need your name._

_I can't tell you._

_At least take off those sunglasses._

_I can't do that._

_You can't hide your face _and_ name. Who are you?_

_I am no one._

_Come now, tell me the truth, who are you? What's your name? What are you hiding behind those glasses?_

_I can't tell you._

_Why not? What are you so afraid of?_

_I don't want the demons to find me._

*****long pause*****

_I understand, welcome to the military, state alchemist._

**Please review:)**_  
_


	4. the child of Yin and Yang

**A/N: Sorry for not updating for so long but I have been trying to figure out how to pull of what I want to in the next chapter. This update is trying to make that easier, so it's kinda important. It's a little short but I'll try to get the next chapter out soon**

* * *

An old woman sat at a fire, surrounded by children from her village. They watched her expectantly, she sighed and waited until a few final children joined the circle before saying,

"I suppose you want a story"

"Yes grandmother," said one of the older boys, "A new one if you have any."

"I do," sighed the old woman," it is a story about a mysterious girl of the age of eleven, no older then many of you, but her story is not for the faint of heart." The children looked at her eagerly. The woman looked sad. "All you young folk, too eager for blood and gore. Just like the girl who I'm about to tell you about. So listen closely now children, listen to what you become when your eagerness for blood and gore take over your life. Here is the story of the Living Earth Alchemist...

Imagine a child dark as the devil

Who walks upon this land

With raven hair, and ghost white skin

And a heart like a desert of sand

Now what I tell you isn't rumour

I wouldn't waste my breath

It is true as true can be

It's the story of the child of death

She came from nowhere this demon child

We don't know her mother or name

Eyes covered by dark glasses, they say she is blind

Recompense for the lives she has and will claim

She is a killer, cold-blooded and determined

She is merciless yet humane

She causes death yet avoids suffering

Full of pride yet she's not vain

She stalks in her prey, shrouded in shadow

Silent as a cat

Not seen, not heard, even as she strikes

Cowardly as a rat

She is a slave of the state, bound by her will

Their dog to control

For them she lies, she harms, she murders

To them she has sold her soul

She is the assassin alchemist

The shadow in the blue light

Her powers are a mystery

Yet she still has a powerful bite

Yet most kills she commits

Do more good then ill

The hero of the people

Overflowing with goodwill

Or at least, that's what many say

So her titles are yang and yin

The is a hero of Amestris

But the military's very best assassin"

As the woman's ghastly tale ended, the children shrunk back in fear. Fear of a child who was no longer a child, a youth who had lost her innocence far too soon. Little did they know that the Living Earth Alchemist was her own first victim.

* * *

**So there you go. Sorry it is so short, but it was necessary. Please review, tell me what you think. I love constructive criticism, but please no flames. I'll get you the next chapter within two weeks, feel free to hassle me about it, that's where the story really starts.**


	5. Finally gone and finally back

**Disclaimer: I do not own, except my original character **

**A/N So this is late… by like 2 months, I'm sorry. In this chapter we finally get into the action. To all those wondering this story takes place in a mix of FMA and FMA Brotherhood, but only the beginning is FMA the rest is Brotherhood.**

* * *

**3rd person POV**

Two figures stared at the flames that danced in front of them, consuming the traces of their old life. The larger figure turned towards the smaller one and said, in a surprisingly childish voice,

"We're never coming back, are we?"

"No" responded the small figure, "there is nothing left for us here." The large figure bowed his head sadly. Unable to watch his past go up in smoke any longer her turned and left the fire, but the small figure, that had seemed so determined to leave a few seconds ago, paused. He dug around in his pocket for a few seconds and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. He unfolded it, his eyes quickly scanning the untidy words. He refolded the note and held it over the flames. Golden eyes stared at the paper, a determination burning in the depths of his eyes before he whispered,

"Farewell sis." And let the note fall.

As the two boys walked away, the inferno they created consumed the trace of the memory that was Alchemia Elric.

* * *

**Al POV**

I looked out the window of the train, the landscapes flashed by. It was soothing. I looked down at Brother, who seemed to be at something rather strangely. I followed his eyes and saw that he was looking at a girl. I couldn't see her face, as her blond hair covered it as she slept, but the way brother was staring at her made me wonder. Suddenly a strange feeling of jealousy wormed into my heart. I tried to shake it off, Brother was 12, he was bound to start noticing girls soon.

"She's cute" I teased, unfortunately he seamed unfazed.

"What? Oh sorry, I was just daydreaming." I sighed, then started as a man with black and grey hair stopped by our bench and exclaimed,

"He's right, there is someone with him, and he is small." At those words, I flinched, and brother jumped up and yelled,

"Who are you calling a runt so tiny he can only be seen with a

magnifying glass, you jerk." The man stumbled back at the sudden outburst, raising his hands instinctively.

"Relax kid, the colonel said it, I was just repeating…" And then suddenly he was standing at gunpoint, aiming his own weapon at one of the attackers. He glanced behind him at the second opponent. Deciding he was outmatched he lowered his gun. The man behind him bashed the but of a gun into the back of his head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. The other man turned to the rest of the car and said,

"No heroes today, everybody shut up and get your hands over your head or say hello to a bullet." Brother and I exchanged a grim look before slowly raising our hands.

* * *

**Fallman POV**

(A few minutes before)

I stood in front of the communications office, glarring in at Hues threw the glass. I cursed the colonel a thousand times for assigning me this stupid mission. Grumbling, I returned to my post.

_Flashback_

_I stood in front of the colonel, back straight, hands by my side. Beside me were Hues, and one other soldier who I had yet to meet, stood to attention. The colonel kept looking at the door as if expecting another person. A few minutes later he sighed, and started to talk,_

_"Fallman, Hues, Jacobs, this next assignement is acting as bodyguards for a higher up who saw fit to travel east with his family_." _All three of us sweat dropped, everyone knew the east was unstable, how dumb was this guy?_

_"There will be a slight side part to this mission..." The colonel was interrupted as the door chose that moment to open. He glanced at us,_

_"Major, how nice of you to join us." Major? Could it be _that _Major? _

_"I am sorry to keep you waiting colonel," said a careful, cold voice. My eyebrows rose, so it was _that_ major. I hadn't seen her in a long time, two years to be specific._

_"I was just finishing an assignement." The man beside me (Jacobs?) shuddered. I didn't blame him. The cold apathetic tone of her voice used to make me do the same. _

_"Understandable," muttered Colonel Mustang, " Well meet the team." We turned to face the door, and I saw her. A young lady of about 12. She wore dark glasses and her long raven hair was tied back in a neet ponytail. Her posture was stiff and proper."I believe you have met Hues and Fallman." We nodded to her respectfully, she returned the gesture. "And this is major Liam Jacobs. Everyone meet the Living Earth Alchemist. They will be working with you on the bodyguard mission." Beside me Jacobs shifted awkwardly._

_" Forgive me sir, but why is the Amestrian military's number one assasin bein assigned to bodyguard duty?" He asked._

_"Because, Jacobs, she will be undercover, and she will be taking care of a potential complication in this mission. Men, you are dismissed, Major, we need to discuss your part in the assignement."_

_End Flashback_

I turned to check the compartments. When I reached the one in which the Major was posted I did a quick scan. I saw a blond "sleeping" in the back who I quickly identifyed as the Major. I remember a time when she didn't have to wear wigs to go unnoticed. Unfortunately ever since she became a legend, a young girl with black hair and sunglasses attracted too much attention. I continued my scan when I noticed something that was most definitely sucpisious. On the bench across from the majors, a man wearing a huge suit of armour sat.? I ran to the phone and called communications.

Hues answered. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Theres somebody here!" I exclaimed

"Tell me."

"A man on the train, it looks like he's ready for a full assault."

"You've found weapons?"

"No! He's in a full suit of armour!"

"Armour?"

From the other line I heard the colonel laugh.

"That guys okay, there should be another kid with him, sort of a pipsqueak." He told us.

Pipsqueak, I wondered

I ran down the isle, stopping in front of the booth. There was a little kid there, I was so relieved I exclaimed without thinking,

"He's right, there is someone with him, and he is small." It quickly became obviouse I shouldn't have said that as the kid jumped up and screamed, "Who are you calling a runt so tiny he can only be seen with a magnifying glass, you jerk." I stumbled back at the sudden outburst, raising my hands instinctively. It was at that time that all hell broke loose. The next 5 seconds passed in a blur of guns, instinct took over, and when I was back in control I found myself pointing at a man who returned the jesture and behind me another man had me at gunpoint. I glanced desperately toward the major, I was not so ignorant to think her asleep, the major never slept on the job, she was always the last to bed and the first awake. She gave no indecation that she was going the help. I lowered my gun, sighing in resignation, the last thing I felt was the barrel of a gun nailing me in the back of my head.

* * *

**Ed's POV**

My mind was still kinda in shock, in the last five minutes the train had smoothly changed hands, and now there were two guys threatening the lives of all the people on the train. Oh brilliant now it seemed all had cauht the attention of one of our attackers, and he was storning down the train gun trained on us.

"Brother?" asked Al nervously

"Don't worry." I said reasuringly

"Helmet, take it off." demanded the man

I fixed my eyes at a spot behind him, pointed and gasped, "Look!" The idiot fell for it, but actually, he fell for it... Well I wasn't about to wast a perfectly good opertunity to cause pain to an idiot. Seeing what I had done the second attacker cocked his gun,

"Bad idea." he told us. Al's fist begged to disagree. There was silence for about five seconds and then the car practically expoded from all the complaining people were doing. Well looking back it hadn't been a very well thought out plan. The blond haired girl who had been sitting in the booth beside us seemed to agree.

"Smooth." She said sarcastically, standing up and efficiantly tying up the two men we just knocked out with rope she had pulled from who know were. Now that I could see her I could see that she wore dark sunglases over her eyes, strange thing to be wearing in a train, I thought. "So what is your plan now," she asked her voice cool and controlled, as she walked down the aisle to where the attackers had left the man from earlier, "or do you even have one." She pulled the man out from under the seat and began to unty him. "Appologies for not assisting you earlier Fallman." She said, "It was not yet time." He nodded then sat up.

"Thank you for untying me major." He said, then turned to us, "and thank you boys for taking out those men."

"Not a problem," I responded," but why are they here?"

"We have a special passenger on this run." Said Fallman, "You know, the front car kind."

"Huh, well I guess we have some terrorists to stop then." I muttered, standing up.

"Not so fast boys." Fallman chuckled. "Major, what's the plan?" I was shocked, who was this girl, that had full grown men referring to her in situations like this. A sliver of suscpision wiggled it's way into my mind. "Major" shrugged,

"That's up to you this isn't my show, I'm only here if things go wildly out of control." Fallman looked surprised, but I just shrugged, fine by me, it was time to kick some terrorist butt.

Who's bright idea had it been for me to climb on top of the train, oh wait that was mine wasn't it. I glared down at the train roof, battling the wind with every step, and then I got hit by a branch. My first thought was well fuck, my second was, who the hell is the man who just saved my life, that's literally how fast it was. Said man turned out to be leitenant Hues, and it turned out he knew of me, huh.

I stood on the top of the train, ready to start the plan Hues and I had come up with. I looked over at him, he gave me thumbs up. I grinned and bent over to pear in the window and stick out my tong. I popped us to see Hues slip of the other side of the train to hit them from the other side. A scream exploded from the inside, and I took that as my que to enter, and knock a guy out while I was at it. From there the engineers took over. One down. Just as I started to climb out onto the roof a shot rang out, nearly hitting me, I ducked back down. You just messed with the wrong alchemist, I thought, drawing a transmutation circle on the side of the train. In a flash of blue lightening a giant cannon imerged on the top of the train. The guys face was priceless as I shot his gun clear out of his hands. The engineer yelled at me something about not messing with the tender, as it was "the life of this train", I grinned evily, tender huh?

Flooding the terrorists with water was fun, and Al arrived at the perfect time. Unfortunately not everything went according to plan. I seemed this "Bald" had a weird gun arm, and Hues had been hit, oh well it looked like I was going to be doing some more saving. I jumped down with a yell, landing right in front of him, automail against automail.

"Huh to automailers, go figure." I grinned. Bald seemed shocked.

"You're just a brat, don't tell me the army feeding kids into it's system now too."

"You're gonna pay for that brat comment later and know one's feeding me into anything, I'm on my own."

From there Bald decided to give me some "advise" which turned out to be a sob story that ended with him deciding to destroy the country. Then he had the nerve to say I was just like him, I broke his automail. Al knocked him out, all in all a job well done.

The "Major" didn't seem to see it the same way.

"I would tell you nice job, but that took ay to long." She said entering the compartement.

"Well if you had helped, we could have finished in minutes." Said Hues

"No that would have just been me assassinating him"

"Well you are our assassin, the best."

"That would be a direct defiance of my orders."

"Wait, wait, wait" I interrupted. They looked at me. Hues looked extremely peaved while the girl looked mostly unconcerned. "If you're the best assassin that means you're…"

The girl pulled off her blond wig to reveal long black hair. I found myself face to face with the legendary LivingEarth Alchemist. Hero of the people, and the military's very best assassin.

**End Ed's POV**

* * *

_How _

_Why_

_Red _

_Snake_

_pain _

_They found me, the demons found me._

* * *

**A/N There finally done! Sooooooo what did you think. What did you like, what didn't you like. I'm open to constructive criticism, but please no pointless flames.**


	6. The Military's very best assassin

**Disclaimer: I do not own FMA Some lines copied from anime script**

**A/N Hey guys, I know, It's been forever, I'll try to get better at that. This isn't very long, but it's important. Warning, extreme gore. :)**

_**4 years later**_

_Dessert_

_Sand_

_Heat_

_Town_

_Empty Streets_

_Noise_

_Voices_

"_Throw away lives"_

"_Aren't afraid to die"_

"_No greater army than those with a holy call"_

"_Tear this country apart"_

"_Mindless pawns"_

_A feral grin plastered it's self across my face._

_Oh yes, prey was near._

**Ed's POV**

I watched Cornello desperately try to regain his power, and wondered at the stupidity of the people in front of me. Seriously, you would think they would accept that this man was a fraud after all the evidence, or did I need to spell it out for them, unless they were too dumb to read. I stepped out from the shadows of the entrance,

" I'm warning you, give it up."

"Humph," his confidence was back now that he had the masses on his side, he hadn't been this cocky in that cell. "You didn't fool me with that little display down there. Without this," he held up my watch, "the only alchemy you can perform is to your own metal arm."

Now I was beginning to question whether or not this man even had a brain. I mean, where was the evidence to support that random statement. A tiny part of my rebellious brain pointed out that Cornello had the same arrogance problem that 'Mia had, my conscious brain quickly crushed that with the fact that she had the brain to justify it while an even more rebellious part pointed out that her problem had been worse and that her brain hadn't done her much good in the end.

That had been happening a lot lately. The resentment I had always harboured at her for abandoning us was growing.

"Know what? You're not the only one who can't stand doubters preach." I hissed, clapping my hands and quickly running a formula through my head. My thoughts of my twin had given me an idea. When she left, 'Mia had burnt her notes like everything else, and the formula for her personal brand of Alchemy was far to complex for us to figure out. No, what I was doing was a cheap illusion.

"Here's a little trick I learned from my sister," I shouted, "here's the real hammer of god!"

The statue I had "brought to life" crashed through the wall behind me.

Al's POV

I watched as the statue crash threw the wall behind Brother, his words ringing in my ears. I knew, of course that he had not actually given the statue artificial intelligence, but it was still a dreadful reminder of the sister whom Truth had stolen from us.

I heard Rose make a sound of amazement from beside me.

"Rings and watches have nothing to do with it. My brother's the FullMetal Alchemist." I bragged.

"Indeed," someone murmured from behind us, "he certainly is a talented illusionist."

Since our meeting on the train Brother and I had only seen the Major once or twice around HQ. She was very busy, and very thorough which made it so that her missions tended to drag on.

She coughed, and that one little sound attracted much attention. People turned and as soon as they saw the small figure, they would flinch back, and away from her. Brilliant, this town had _that_ opinion. Of course it probably helped that across her face she wore a small, sinister grin. I was shocked, usually there was no expression on her face, and this grin was positively evil.

"Major," Brother sounded surprised, "what are you doing here."

"Mission," she answered walking towards the stage. People pushed back to get out of her way, "but it seems you've done most of the work for me." Her grin grew wider as she approached.

"I was about to let go of this fraud, he is of no harm now."

"That is not your call, nor is it mine, I was given a mission, and I never fail my missions." She reached the stage.

"Please," begged the man, " spare me."

She advanced towards him, that evil grin growing.

"Please help, help, help me god." He prayed, scrambling back.

"Major!" cried Edward, "Please, you don't need to do this, he's harmless!"

She pulled a gun from her sleeve.

I lurched forwards.

Cornello backed up against a pillar.

He turned and ran, but she was faster.

I couldn't get threw the crowd

"Major, no" cried Brother.

"Let me threw!" I begged.

She tripped him.

Cornello was kneeling on the ground with a gun against the back of his head.

The major was standing over him, her grin wild, and full of a dark joy.

Brother froze.

I froze.

The people of Lior froze.

It was so quiet you could hear the rats in the alleys around us.

"_Please, please,_"

Cornello's whisper was clearly audible from anywhere in the crowd,

"_please don't kill me,_"

as he turned and prayed

"_don't kill me..._"

to the only deity that mattered for him anymore

"_god._"

a 16 year old girl who stood over him with only the power of a small, loaded, pistol.

_**CRACK**_

**End Al's POV**

It begged. They all did. Others begged for it too, but they couldn't stop me, I had smelt blood, nobody, not even God himself could have stopped me. It is only at times like this that I felt the sanity come back, when I could think straight. Only when I could smell the prey, their pain, and desperation. They think me insane, I could see as much in their eyes, but no, for once I was sane.

_**Crack**_

Blood splashed over me, it's warmth heated my frozen soul. It splashed against my hand. I dropped the gun, and stared at my hands. I stared at the staining crimson, the liquid life. Blood.

I ran my hands threw my hair, staining the ends that had been stained many times before, down my face, just to feel it's warmth. It dripped, and soothed. It brought me _sanity._

**Well, hopefully that doesn't creep you out too much...**

**Please review! It gives me incentive to write!**

**Please**

**Pwetty please**

**Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

**Key word being constructive**

**Thanks guys :)**


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